Ms. Shay's Thoughts:
A pregnant 17-year-old and her boyfriend stop at a Walmart store, where he drives off without her. She has no where to go and no money. She doesn't know anyone in town, so she hides out in the store until one night, she begins to give birth, right in the aisle of the store. That's just the beginning of this heartwarming story. Novalee, and her little one are slowly adopted by the small town they happened to land in. This is a character driven story, but there's plenty of drama. I enjoyed it immensely.
Book Trailer
Partial Review from Amazon.com Where the Heart Is oddly mixes heart-warming vignettes and surprising, brutal violence. Novalee's story is juxtaposed with occasional chapters chronicling Willy Jack's downward spiral into prison, disappointment, and degradation. And even in Sequoyah, sudden storms, domestic violence, kidnapping, and deadly fires punctuate Novalee's progress from homeless, unwed teen mom to successful, happy member of the community. This is not a subtle book; there's never any doubt that our heroine will make a home for herself and her baby or that Willy Jack will get what he deserves for abandoning them. Still, Billie Letts has created several memorable characters, and there's always room for another novel that celebrates the life-affirming qualities of reading, the importance of education, and the power of love to change lives.
Ms. Shay's Thoughts:
A pregnant 17-year-old and her boyfriend stop at a Walmart store, where he drives off without her. She has no where to go and no money. She doesn't know anyone in town, so she hides out in the store until one night, she begins to give birth, right in the aisle of the store. That's just the beginning of this heartwarming story. Novalee, and her little one are slowly adopted by the small town they happened to land in. This is a character driven story, but there's plenty of drama. I enjoyed it immensely.
Book Trailer
Partial Review from Amazon.com
Where the Heart Is oddly mixes heart-warming vignettes and surprising, brutal violence. Novalee's story is juxtaposed with occasional chapters chronicling Willy Jack's downward spiral into prison, disappointment, and degradation. And even in Sequoyah, sudden storms, domestic violence, kidnapping, and deadly fires punctuate Novalee's progress from homeless, unwed teen mom to successful, happy member of the community. This is not a subtle book; there's never any doubt that our heroine will make a home for herself and her baby or that Willy Jack will get what he deserves for abandoning them. Still, Billie Letts has created several memorable characters, and there's always room for another novel that celebrates the life-affirming qualities of reading, the importance of education, and the power of love to change lives.